The front doors to Durakov Prison slid open. The general's walk was brisk and determined as he enterred the prison. A guard stopped him on his way inside.

"Halt, sir, please identify yourself."

General Dmitri crossed his arms impatiently and gave the guard an equally impatient glare. "...Do I REALLY need to identify myself?" The general was wearing a long, black overcoat and a black ushanka covering his balding head. His thick black mustache hung over his lip, and his tired eyes stared daggers through anyone he spoke to.

"Sorry, sir. Protocol."

The general sighed. "Grigori Dmitri, General of the Russian Army. Now may I proceed?"

"Yes, sir. Welcome to the prison."

Dmitri straightened his coat before continuing into the prison, but the guard stopped him again.

"W-Wait, sir...What are you doing at this prison?"

Dmitri turned back to him. "I received a notification about an escaped American prisoner running around. I was nearby dealing with the Rezalus counterstrike against the English Moon attacks, so I decided to drop by personally to assess the situation. You'd be surprised how dragged out and boring battling the moon with a space laser can be."

"But, sir...you're armed..."

Dmitri looked down at his hip. Strapped to his belt was a somewhat large leather sheath. A black handle with a dial on it stuck out from the end. Dmitri chuckled. "What, you mean ol' Ognivo?" He patted the sheath at his side. "Well, just a precaution. And besides...I DID say I was bored."

General Dmitri stepped through lobby doors and into the prison area, where all the guards were in dissaray. It seemed that the escape had caused mass chaos in the area. Dmitri calmly walked in and rolled his eyes. He stopped with a stomp of his boot and shouted, "WARDEN!"

The prison warden stepped up and saluted him. "General, sir!"

Dmitri glared at him expectantly. "Explain."

The warden cleared his throat. "A young American soldier was captured near our Austrian post and was brought here for imprisonment. He quickly escaped his cell and is most likely finding his way to an exit."

Dmitri thought for a moment. "How young is he?"

"Um...around 13 to 15?"

"And...how did he escape?"

"Um...a guard showed him the floorplans..."

"And...why haven't you stopped him?"

"Well...h-he subdued me...and it was a slow day so we gave most of the armed guards the day off..."

Dmitri put his hand to the warden's mouth. "Save it. I'll handle this boy myself. Ol' Ognivo could use a workout, anyway."

The General made his way to the hangar quickly, his hand on the handle of his sheathed weapon the whole time. He made his way through the sliding doors of the hangar and looked around. It seemed he had beaten the prisoner there, so he stopped in the middle of the room and took out a cigarette.

"Tch, I need to get the staff here replaced...full of bumbling fools. How could the Motherland bring out soldiers like Strutsnov or Matryoshka yet be the home of Durakov? It's almost hilarious..." A puff of smoke came out from under his stache. "Well, at least I'm out of that office. Feels like all I do nowadays is call Matryoshka, get yelled at by the President, and shoot the moon. General's life is a boring one."

He heard the doors open behind him, and he tossed the cigarette to the , crushing it beneath his boot. He turned to the door and saw a young man in a soldier's uniform with spiky brown hair and a pair of glasses. He didn't seem particularly dangerous at first glance, but Dmitri kept a hand ready to draw Ognivo just in case.

"So," he called out, his voice echoing in the hangar, "you're that American boy that's causing all this mayhem, da? I'm surprised how young you are for someone able to fool an entire Russian prison staff...though Durakov isn't exactly known for its competence. I, however, am. You don't become General for nothing, after all. Now..." He stood with his arms behind his back and his head tilted up, looking down on the boy as he walked in. "...I suggest you surrender here if you know what's good for you."

Spoiler : :

If you don't remember, General Dmitri is the Russian General that Lawrence always contacts on his radio. He's the guy that was with Lawrence when Zhelezo was introduced, and he's the guy who was handling the Project Rezalus vs Drey's moon base battle that didn't go anywhere. I decided he'd be a good choice for Tom's first major battle.

I'll post as Lawrence and Sam once Gom decides to post. Squid's officially out for the subplot, so I'll work around the Anika sisters.

Hersh/Fiendy has credit for the amazing GiGi pics and enigma has credit for the adorable Kenshin Mega Man sprite!

As Bluemann went through the door, he saw a figure. And he was armed."Man, whoever this guy is, he means business. But it's strange, he's not as heavily armed as the others...I should still probably be cautious"The man talked to him, telling him that it was amazing he managed to fool the entire prison staff(which Bluemann faintly smirked about)and such. After he finished, Bluemann spoke:"Look man, I've been through a lot lately. My comrades died in a plane crash, and I've gotten my own share of injuries. Not to mention what a pain it is to ride in a cramped crate for hours, and all the walking I've done"He had noticed that quite a number of his injuries had healed."Maybe I was out a bit longer then I thought...either way, another convenience""Either way, there is no way I'm surrendering before I reach Tokyo! So if you could just kindly get out of my way so I can get into one of those helicopters and get out of here, I'd appreciate it"

Dmitri laughed. "Is this what the American youth is like? So rude!" His face grew stern again. "You intruded in Russian territory and killed many of my good men, boy. I don't care how young you are. As general, it is against my creed to let such an act go unpunished."

The general grabbed the handle of his weapon and unsheathed it. The black handle with the dial was attatched to a blade that resembled a slightly large cleaver. Etched onto the blade was its name "OGNIVO". Dmitri examined the blade slowly.

"Ah, Ognivo...it has been a long time since I have unsheathed you. Sitting behind a desk for so long gets tiring. I envy your youth, boy...but if I must, I will cut it short." He pointed the blade at the American. "I am General Grigori Dmitri of Russia, and I refuse to let you pass without a fight. Tell me your name, boy...I prefer to know the names of those who I have conquered."

Hersh/Fiendy has credit for the amazing GiGi pics and enigma has credit for the adorable Kenshin Mega Man sprite!

Bluemann stared at the knife."Name's Thomas Bluemann. And, like you I have a knife, but unlike you, I have a pistol"He takes out his dagger, and points his pistol at the general."But very well, if it takes a fight with you to get out of here, I'm all for it. But don't underestimate me, there is a reason I managed to kill so many soldiers from your side"

The general rose his cleaver up and turned the dial on the handle. The weapon began to quietly hum, and it seemed to start glowing a bright shade of orange. Within a few seconds, the blade glowed like a sword being made by a blacksmith. Dmitri smugly walked over to one of the walls and looked over to Tom.

"...there is a reason I was made a general."

Dmitri rose Ognivo and sliced into the wall, leaving a small gash in the steel of the hangar. The metal seemed to melt away around the gash, as if it had been blow-torched rather than cut. Dmitri smirked beneath his stache.

"You like Ognivo, Bluemann? It was specially designed. I've cut down countless enemies in my climb up the ranks with this blade...and a tank or two as well. The blade is resistant to the heat it gives off, though I can't say the same for most metals."

The general returned to the center of the room and pointed his molten blade at Tom again. "So go ahead and make your move, boy...I'd like to see what you come up with.

Hersh/Fiendy has credit for the amazing GiGi pics and enigma has credit for the adorable Kenshin Mega Man sprite!

"I guess I was right to be curious as to why he wasn't armed with much of anything. But how am I gonna beat a guy with a weapon like that..."Then he got an idea."How about this, we both fight without using weapons, and the winner gets to kill the other with the opponent's weapon? That way, we can see if you can handle someone without that heated blade of yours"It sounded like a good idea, Bluemann just hoped he'd agree to the conditions.

Dmitri laughed. "Heh...you really are new to this whole war thing, aren't you?"

The general held the cleaver up and examined its glowing blade as he spoke. "You see, boy, you've killed many of my men. That is not something I take lightly. It is my duty as general to protect my men, and killing you will help ensure that."

He pointed the blade at Tom once more. "Besides, I've missed Ognivo. I wouldn't dare let some American child wield my precious blade. And even if I accepted your offer...do you really think you could win fisticuffs against a man almost twice your size with years if not decades more experience than you? You don't win a battle by merely handicapping the opponent, boy. You win by utilizing your skills to a greater degree."

His face grew stern. "Now, are you going to demonstrate your own skills or will this just be a swift execution?"

Hersh/Fiendy has credit for the amazing GiGi pics and enigma has credit for the adorable Kenshin Mega Man sprite!

"Well, there goes that idea. I need to think fast!"Then he got an idea:"Maybe if I just shoot him in the knee, he won't be able to charge at me, either way, I'll make a break for it to one of those helicopters. But if I do, he'll probably try to throw his knife at me...I pray to God that he misses"He makes sure he has the safety off and then speaks."Alright, I'll show you some skills"He fires his pistol, aiming at the general's right knee.

Dmitri saw him aim the gun and reacted quickly. As Tom pulled the trigger, Dmitri quickly swiped Ognivo in front of his leg. The bullet hit the glowing blade, and Dmitri was unharmed. He held the cleaver in front of him and watched as the melted bullet slid off of the blade and onto the floor, practically liquefied.

"Heh heh...not bad. But it'll take more than just a good shot to stop me, boy. Now...it's my move!"

General Dmitri rose the cleaver and swiftly charged at Tom, swinging the weapon down on the boy as he did.

Hersh/Fiendy has credit for the amazing GiGi pics and enigma has credit for the adorable Kenshin Mega Man sprite!

"Had a hunch that wouldn't work"Bluemann saw the general charge at him with his knife. Then he had remembered something from his training back at his military camp:"Time to put that technique my commanding officer showed me to use"With spilt second thinking he just barely dodged out of the way of the knife(it had made a small rip in his uniform) and kicked the general from the side."Man am I glad I reacted in time. Of course knowing you at this point, it'll take more than that to beat you. Am I right?"

Okay sorry for the late delay, I didn't feel like writing for a while. Also I doubt Gom's going to respond any time soon, so Lawrence is going to England alone.

Durakov Prison, Russia

Dmitri stumbled a bit, surprised by the sudden pain in his side. He regained his composure quickly, though, and was soon rubbing his side and chuckling.

"Heh...no, simple fancy footwork won't be enough to bring this geezer down. Come now, boy, you brought down a whole squadron of men! Surely one man is no problem for you!" He grinned sarcastically before raising his cleaver again. "Now step it up!"

Dmitri dahsed forward to Thomas, pointing the end of the cleaver to his chest, preparing for a molten stab through the heart.

-----

Spanish Port

Lawrence leaned impatiently against a wall, his arms crossed, tapping his foot. It felt like he was supposed to leave ages ago, yet the ship still didn't seem to be ready for him and the others. He had walked away from Antonio and the German twins for now; he was getting a little stressed over the ship's delay. His trident leaned on the wall next to him.

"...What the hell is taking them so...hm?"

Lawrence looked up and saw the Spanish captain walking up to him, a nervous look on his face. Lawrence's look of impatience turned to one of concern. "Captain? Is something wrong?"

The Spaniard scratched his head. "Unfortunately so. We've detected mines in the ocean. We believe the British took following their weapon into account and blocked the channel after their own ship passed through."

Lawrence clenched his fists. "Damn...then how do we reach them?"

The captain gave him a nervous look. "Well, we do have an airship built for stealth. Unfortunately, it's very small, and only can fit one person. If we can infilitrate and elliminate the weapon stealthfully, we could send in more reinforcements and escape, but I don't-"

"Just get me in that plane, I'll handle the rest from there."

"But...what about the others you brought?"

Lawrence looked back at them for a moment. "The girls aren't in the right condition for this kind of action anyway. Antonio can watch over their recoverey. I'll take care of this weapon myself."

The captain looked around for a moment, thinking, and sighed. "Very well. Follow me, I'll have you headed out within a couple minutes."

Lawrence nodded and grabbed his trident before following the man to the hangar. He looked back at the others as he walked away. Eh, they'd forgive and forget eventually. For now, his first priority was getting to England as soon as possible and destroying that weapon.

-------

Beijing, China

Sam snapped to attention when Saburo came into the room, her back straightening and her hand going into a salute. "Mr. Kirio, sir!" She stopped for a moment and remembered that the man was a terrorist, though, not a superior officer. An embarassed blush reddened her face as she quickly put her hand down and pulled the covers of the bed up a little. "I-I mean..uh...hi...?" The man commanded an air of superiority with him, given how infamous he was...when she was just sitting in a room as he casually started talking, it felt almost shockingly unnerving.

"S-So..." Sam tried to think. How do you make casual conversation with an international criminal? "U-Um...how are your wounds healing Mr. Kirio...?" She couldn't think of anything else to say.

Spoiler : :

Please describe the English base for me, Sleuth, then I'll land with Lawrence. And I don't have anything to say as Tath yet so yeah.

Hersh/Fiendy has credit for the amazing GiGi pics and enigma has credit for the adorable Kenshin Mega Man sprite!

Bluemann saw that he was going to charge again. Then came some more of his quick thinking:"If I can find a way to knock that knife out of his hand, he'll be defenseless!. Question is, how will I do that? I'd bet if he had that knife's heater on for too long, it'll become so hot, he won't be able to hold it! But I'll never know, so for now, I'll just run around, firing my pistol at him until I can figure something out"He jumped out of the way. Unfortunately he didn't jump away very well, as he lost his footing and tripped. He starting firing his pistol as he was struggling to get back up.

"There's no need to be afraid, Ms. Samantha," Saburo said, smiling wearily, "I'm in no condition to fight, even if I wanted to. I am... no longer your enemy, you see."

A part of him still cringed at the reminder; the fact that he was now a dog of the military burned even stronger than the wound in his chest. Even so, he still had to say a few things before he retreated into the dark. While he still had some pride left...

"More to the point," Saburo said, "I would like to tell you something. Just something to think over. It's about what happened before... When you tried to kill that man. You couldn't kill him... But I'd like you to realize that it was a blessing that you did not."

He held a hand to his chest, right above his wound. He clenched his teeth slightly, but forced a smile in its place. "...You see, I'm a man who's killed many people. It's not something I did gladly, but something I did out of purpose. Out of a hope for a greater cause. I believed that I could change the world... To overthrow the tyrants that enslaved the people of their nations. That's why I fought... That's why I killed."

Even now, his hypocrisy was biting back. How could he claim to kill in his own beliefs if he was willing to toss those aside? Were his crimes all for nothing!? Still, he had to make his point. He couldn't let an innocent girl become a killer for her country... No matter what.

"What you believe in... And who you believe in... Those things will drive you and keep you alive in this fight. I... I want to tell you 'don't kill, don't fight'... But you're already here, in the thick of the war. If you can get out, it would ease my mind greatly. But if you can't... Then, I want you to truly consider what you are fighting for. A life... is not something to take lightly. If you must kill... Do it for no one else's sake but your own. Do not take the life of another lightly."

Saburo clenched his fist, then stood up, slowly. "...I hope you understand. I truly do. The governments, all of them, they care nothing for you. They care only what you can do for them. Your ability determines all. And even then, no matter how strong or good you are, you will never be anything more than a 'weapon' to them... As I know from experience."

With that, he turned around, unable to bear his own lie any longer. "...I may not be seeing you again, Ms. Samantha, so I hope you take my words to heart. Don't ask why I did this; I'm not sure myself. Except that I can't bear to see children embroiled in the sins of their fathers..."

Saburo slowly walked back, his chest throbbing even more than usual. Quickly moving to the door, Saburo pulled it shut behind him, and sat back on his bed.

"We'll be back in America soon," A voice said through the speakers, "Be prepared to land soon."

Enzo:

The truck pulled up to a large, metal gate in the center of an old, worn down district. Crumbling buildings blotted the skyline, and the landscape seemed peppered with faded yellow and brown. The streets crumbled beneath the rumbling of the many vehicles, and slowly, the gate began to blink red, scanning over the occupants and the cargo of the trucks. Enzo waited, casually twirling one end of his mustache, as the gates began to slowly rumble open. The trucks moved in.

Enzo stifled a yawn as the trucks entered, and the scientists moved out. All around, several British soldiers stood guard, brandishing their weapons and manning their vehicles for protection. The engineers quickly rushed from the main lab, giving a salute as Enzo arrived. Enzo replied with his own half-hearted salute, and removed his hat respectfully as he left the vehicle.

"Ah, so these are them, correct?" The Head Technician said, pushing up his glasses as he approached. Without waiting for an answer, he snapped his fingers, and an army of black-clad assistants quickly began unloading the vehicles. Slowly, the heavy crates emerged from the truck, covered in sheets, and were dragged on hover carts into the laboratory. The Head Technician then pushed up his glasses, snapped his fingers, and returned to the building.

"Hold up there, mon ami," Enzo said, placing a hand on the Technician's shoulder, a wide grin crossing his face, "Mind if I follow you for a sec?"

-----

"...Fantastic, aren't they?" The Technician grinned, waving his arm across the interior of the lab.

The interior of the factory was black on cold steel, shadow draped over endless rows of machinery. Only the fury of sparks and the watchful glow of the machinery lit up the iron cave, and a seemingly infinite number of mechanical arms sprung from all places to move this, hold that, hand this to that, pick up this, move that again. Factory workers, many of which were also trained soldiers, simply had to do their part in the conveyor belt, searing together metal, fitting parts, making sure the contraptions worked as planned, then package them and ship them out to the field. It was long, unsatisfying work, but the most vital part of the entire operation.

"This lab produces approximately 1000 weapons per hour," The Technician said, gazing over the field of workers. "And at this pace, we'll get those new ones done and to Paris in no time. Then your little problem shall be, as we say in the UK... Uh, well, it'll be dealt with."

The two stood inside a large room, overlooking the main factory area, far above the catwalks and distant from the noise and steam of the actual workers. The Technician himself was merely an overseer-- Content to sip wine in his office while occasionally glancing over the hundreds of workers. Enzo scanned the room-- It looked like a five-star hotel compared to the rest of the factory. Fancy holoscreens, even some antiques, like a mahogany desk with actual drawers. Enzo tapped the floor with his foot-- Velvet carpet. A 100,000 pound room in all, he guessed-- Not that he knew how British currency worked. Pounds. Crazy.

"I'm afraid I wasn't exactly brought up to speed with this whole mission," Enzo said, taking a sip of wine from the Technician's minibar, "Would you mind telling me a bit about these... weapons?"

The Technician took a seat, and quickly opened up a series of images on the holoscreens. Enzo whistled. Fancy.

"They're quite something. What you're looking at is a unique weapon, unlike any other..." The images of the blueprints popped up in the middle of the room. "It's called a High Impact Biohazard Railgun. Three guesses what it does."

"Funny, but it's much more than that. It's a rail gun armed with a severe chemical weapon designed to incapacitate in a matter of seconds and exterminate in a matter of minutes, dispensed over a 300 meter radius-- Which is why the rail gun is necessary to deploy the toxin from a distance. The best part is that the bio-hazard is highly contagious-- Thus, the plan is to recall the troops currently fighting in the streets, and surrender the area-- Only to send in the new squad, dubbed 'Les Anges De La Mort', to wipe out each and every one of them."

Enzo's eyes narrowed as the blueprints continued to hover before him, casting a faint blue light across his face. Weapons of death. Biohazards... And rail guns. Then the Technician hit a few keys before him, and they vanished in a flash.

He took a long sip of his wine. Just as he'd thought. They were willing to even sacrifice Parisians in their plan... How desperate were these monsters? God knows how many they'll kill with these weapons. This is the equivalent of nuking the area, only without the collateral damage... They'll get as many survivors out and then kill them all. 'Angels of death' indeed.

Enzo took another sip of wine, and placed the glass down. He placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.